So - with a date set and the idea we wanted to try and pack as much into a day as possible -
off we went. As a basic Instagram b****,
I of course did some preliminary research to try and find cute places
to have lunch, walls to take pics, cute little shops - that sort of thing.

I am sure these are not ALL of them -

(I have a lot more of San Diego explorin' to do)

but I am going to jot down the timeline of our day out there

so you can see where we went, what we did -

and please feel free to leave your recommendations of

places I need to check out next time.

Our San Diego itinerary:

6am - pickup

(Jessica drove, so all I had to do is drag my pajama-clad but to the car - thanks Jess!)

it's actually a powder you brush on that doubles as a dry shampoo!
Super easy, super convenient, super fast.

WHAT!?!

Yes, its true!

Such a magical product does exist.

The product is intended to cover roots - so its a great beauty hack

to cover growth in between salon visits and save yourself some $$$.

I have silver toned blonde hair and I've been using 'Ice House' to cover my roots
and it works perfectly - its a great match!

However, they have normal hair shades as well (see below).

It can also be used as all over color as well.

I have blonde hair and used the 'Peacock Blue'

which gave me the most perfect

mermaid teal color I've ever seen!

This easily washed out in the shower...
but my TWO TIPS:

1) Bright/dark colors can get messy so make sure
you wipe down surfaces from fall out
(it shouldn't stain, but I would wipe down sooner than later)
and try to be precise with your application
as it is powder form and easily air born!

2) I applied it directly to the root at the scalp which turned
my scalp bright blue - oops. LOL
(It wasn't a big deal, I went back with a washcloth and wiped the excess)
For a more natural look, I recommend applying
an inch or so down from the scalp, then brushing the product
through so your scalp looks flesh colored instead of blue.
I overdid it a bit - I was VERY excited!

The Cliff Notes version is my dad was staying over my apartment one summer.

He wanted to wash up before dinner and took a shower while I

finished preparing dinner.

He comes out in a towel and I asked "How was your shower?"

He goes "It was nice, but you had some bugs on your soap!"

I was preoccupied cooking so it took a second to sink in.

I finally process what he said and look at him with a puzzled face.

Me: Bugs?

Dad: Yeah, you had these little bugs on your soap.

Don't worry, I scraped them off for you!

Me (laughing): WHAT?! What bugs?!

Dad: Seriously.

Me: Dad, what are you talking about?

Dad: C'mere, I'll show you!

[Proceeds to lead me into the bathroom and grabs my soap

from the shower caddy.]

He proudly presents my soap like a trophy,

with these deep nail divots throughout

(where he "scraped the bugs off") --

like he saved me from some disgusting fate

during my next shower.

Me: [Looks of horror]

"Dad, what did you do to my soap?"

Dad: There were bugs stuck all over the top.

I got them off for you!

Me: Dad! Those weren't bugs, they were lavender petals.

I just bought that French lavender soap at a fancy shop

in the Hamptons! You ruined it!

Dad: Oops. Sorry they looked like bugs!

...I guess I owe you a new one?

[End Scene]

Can't believe my Mom remembered that...

but that story will definitely go down as a classic.

The time my Dad destroyed my lavender soap

because it had 'bugs all over it'.

MEN: Stick to what you know

(and a lavender soap might be saved!)

Well, as you can imagine - I won't be offering him

any of my lavender popsicles!

Here's the recipe: Yields 4 Pops

1 TBSP cooking lavender (purchase at health food store)

1 Cup Milk (2% - but whole or half/half is better)

2 TSP fresh honey (wildflower is best, but clover will do)

1 Cup (Honey or Plain Flavored Greek Yogurt)

Lavender Petals (for garnish only)

Red + Blue Food Dye (to make purple - just 1 drop of each should do!)

Strainer

Heat one cup of milk with the cooking lavender. You can use a tea diffuser or just leave the lavender floating in the milk and then strain it out. Do not let boil, just continue stirring until heated through. Take off burner and let lavender steep for 5 minutes to create a "lavender milk".

Strain lavender out and whisk in honey until liquified. Add food coloring (I didn't have blue so I used more red and less green dye and it didn't turn out half bad! Improvise people!) Let cool in either a refrigerator for 20 min or a freezer for 10 min.

Once cool, stir in Greek yogurt to give a thicker consistency. I suggest stirring in yogurt a little at a time to make sure it doesn't become too thick that its not pourable into the mold.

Pour into Zoku maker and freeze for 15 minutes - remove using pop remover tool and store in Zoku pop case. Add remaining mixture to one additional mold and freeze another 15 minutes.

You can obviously use other popsicle molds, I just know they take way longer to freeze.

You may also be wondering why if I have a 3 pop maker,

why I don't fill the additional 2 molds on the second round to make 6!

The reason is its just my roommate and I and we like to have 1 or 2 each,

Drool-worthy recipes that even in my wildest imagination
I couldn't dream up.
And she's a huge fan of glitter, anything neon, and sprinkles -
so naturally we would be best friends.
Like who can possibly make chia seed pudding look THAT delicious?
She's a magician!

Lately, I've also been enjoying Teni Penosian's blog
on beauty, fashion, and a bit of lifestyle.

Originally, I found her on YouTube and followed her updates there,
but came to realize she was actually a blogger prior to YouTuber.
She's sweet, down to earth, and gorgeous.
Check out the Valentine's Day dinner she hosted for her girlfriends,
such a cute idea!

If you couldn't tell, I was crushing on the Drifters & Poseidon models the hardest,

but they are all so fun!

While the company is a fresh, hip, forward-thinking brand,

their message also rocks.

"Life is all about the simple things that make us happy. Chillin’ on the beach with your friends and enjoying the good life. Seeking the thrills of an outdoor adventure on the slopes or riding the waves. Doin’ the things that spark your emotions and make you feel alive.

Now that’s exactly what we’re all about.

It’s all about building a culture of people who won’t let life pass them by. You’ll routinely see us using #goodvibes on our social media posts. Here at Gage, we embrace the game changers, the thrill seekers, and anyone who specializes in thinking out-of-the-box.

These are the true rock stars in life."

Who doesn't love supporting & buying products

from a company that projects such a positive lifestyle?

I'm a fan.

I just checked the website and everything right now seems

to be in stock - but they have a current LABOR DAY SALE
going on so I'm not sure how long that will last!